Between Worlds

Chapter 25

Adin hadn't found them a job for the evening, but at Finch's request, he'd found them somewhere nice to stop for dinner. It was a botanical garden in the city that stayed open late. A few people passed through on their way elsewhere, but it was mostly quiet after dark.

"I don't know what your hearing range is, but I want us outside of it," Finch told Luther as Adin packed leftover pasta into containers. "I'm serious. You may not care what you overhear, but I want some damn privacy for once. We'll meet back here in an hour."

"A simple request would have sufficed, Finch," Luther replied. "I have other matters to attend to, so you'll have your privacy. Could we make it two hours instead of one?"

Finch's eyes narrowed. "Now I'm suspicious."

"I made a promise about not drinking your blood, and I have no intention of breaking it. My body, however, isn't overly fond of cow blood. A city this size will have clubs catering to more adventurous spirits. It won't be difficult to find someone willing to lend me their neck."

"That easy, huh?"

"It became easy once I realised I no longer have any scruples. Men are such simple, willing creatures. They'll follow their libidos off a cliff for a taste of satisfaction."

"Didn't think you swung that way."

"I don't. I'm not sure I swing any way these days. It's not hard to find a man who's willing to give me what I want without expecting anything in return other than for me to not mind what he's doing with his hands."

Finch just stared at him for a moment. "I really wish I'd ended this conversation a few exchanges ago. I'm sure Shadow wishes I did as well."

Shadow just shrugged, seemingly unbothered by anything Luther had said.

Finch sighed. "Okay, back here in two hours. Luther, please try not to get into any trouble with your weird kink stuff."

Luther waved away his concern. "No need to worry. I'm an expert. I did this all the time before I found a source for donor blood."

"Great," Finch said, exasperated. "Please leave. I'm worried you're going to take something else I say as interest and tell me more."

Luther was laughing as he left.

Finch took the packed containers from Adin. "Two hours, then. We may as well make the most of it. You okay watching the kids for that long?"

Adin forced a smile. "I'll manage. I'm not sure I understand either one of them very well. Ryan threw a banana at Kimber earlier, but Kimber still seems to always be following him around."

"Maybe they both need a friend?"

"I can literally hear you talking about me," Ryan called from behind the curtain leading to the back of the bus. "I do not, thank you."

Finch laughed as he turned back to Adin. "Well, have fun with that. We'll leave you to it."

As they left the bus, Shadow's hand found Finch's. Hand holding was something that had never even crossed Finch's mind before, but it felt natural with Shadow. To reach out and hold on in the gentlest of ways. Shadow felt a bit like a pillow—soft and yielding, but impossible to break. Well, mentally, anyway. Finch was quite aware of his own strength.

But Shadow was pretty strong, too. He let go of Finch's hand to spring up and grab a low hanging branch, then pulled himself up and over it with the ease of a child playing a game. Finch loved watching him move. Even when he wasn't being acrobatic, he had a natural grace to him. It made Finch want to get under his clothes, to see the way his body could move without everything else in the way, but he could be patient. He never had been before, but he could be.